Chances are you’ve heard of the metaverse but may not quite understand what it is. Do you believe it’s really coming? What will your avatar look like? These are just a few questions surrounding an emerging parallel world in which virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), video and other technologies will combine the physical and digital realms into one. Whatever the metaverse will be, exactly, tech innovators, gaming companies, corporate giants and many others seem committed to planting their flags as quickly as possible. They envision users doing practically anything – from working, playing, shopping and traveling to connecting and interacting with friends in countless ways. The experiences are endless, they say. Several companies are paving the way. The question remains: Will we want to follow?

Whether all this excitement comes with caveats depends on who you ask. There are skeptics who think the metaverse is just a fresh coat of internet paint. Some investors fear companies like Meta will need to sink up to $50 billion into VR, AR and other building blocks before simply breaking even. And, of course, privacy is a recurring issue.

But one thing is certain. Whatever the future holds, our quest to discover new worlds is being emboldened by the ingenuity to create them. So, really, what will your avatar look like?

BMW

The car manufacturer is leveraging AR in concept and prototype engineering. Computer-aided design files of vehicle components are transferred from a web-based database to AR goggles, so specialists can reproduce the information in a realistic 3D environment.

Microsoft

The software behemoth’s Mesh platform develops mixed and extended reality (XR) applications to combine the real world with AR and VR. Holograms and virtual avatars for Microsoft Teams are also coming.

Meta

The company formerly known as Facebook is busy with projects like Horizon Workrooms, an evolution of video conferencing that allows you to join teammates in a virtual space that feels more natural than faces on a screen.

Epic Games

This gaming leader has hosted concerts, movie trailers, music debuts and even an immersive re-creation of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Medical Realities

After filming real surgeries in 4K 360° video, this company uses VR to combine that footage with computer-generated imagery (CGI) models of the anatomy to provide an immersive and interactive training experience.